Ocampo urges judges to confirm Ruto group charges

International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has asked the Pre-Trial Chamber to confirm all charges against Eldoret North MP William Ruto, his Tinderet counterpart Henry Kosgey and radio presenter Joshua Sang.

The prosecutor, in his final submissions, told the court that if it refuses to confirm any of the charges, then the three will have escaped trial for "very serious crimes".

The prosecutor wants the three to go to trial for murder, forcible evictions and persecution.

Mr Moreno-Ocampo also tore into the suspects' defence presented during the confirmation hearings last month. The prosecutor said that the defence did not present evidence that renders the prosecution's insufficient for the purpose of confirming the charges.

He added that his evidence does not contain "inconsistencies, contradictions or ambiguities" that compromises the burden of proof.

Mr Moreno-Ocampo also dismissed the defence plea to the court that it ignores evidence from anonymous witnesses. He told the judges that he did not expose witnesses because they would be viewed as traitors by their communities.

"Even if the witnesses and their families are in a protected remote location, their lives will be affected. Some may not be able to return to Kenya for a long time," Mr Moreno-Ocampo said in his submission.